Men's Rugby student-athlete Molitika Santiago Ix-Siu runs past the Colorado State defender in an attempt to score a try.

On the move: Molitika Santiago Ix-Siu ’27 runs past Colorado State defenders in an attempt to score a try. / Photo by Karen Drinkwater

Gaels Roll Past Colorado State 69–10 to Advance in Rugby Playoffs

No. 2 Seed Saint Mary’s now hosts No. 3 Seed Arizona on April 18.

by AJ Clement ’26, Club Sports Writer | April 15, 2026

In the opening round of the Division I Rugby playoffs, the Saint Mary’s Gaels (12–1–0) powered past the Colorado State Rams (6–3–0), racking up an emphatic 69–10 win on a rainy afternoon at Saint Mary’s Stadium. The Gaels handled the ball with composure, turning pressure into points and punching their ticket to the next round of the playoffs.

From the opening minutes, Saint Mary’s set the tone physically and defensively, overwhelming Colorado State on both sides of the ball. The first breakthrough came quickly, as Santi Ix-Siu ’27 punched in a try off a clean attacking sequence, with TJ Pappas ’27 adding to the conversion to make it 7–0.

Saint Mary's player Aisake Tukuafu '28 avoids one Colorado State defender and attempts to evade another Colorado State defender as the wet field splashes while the players try to keep their footing. — Another breakthrough: **Aisake Tukuafu ’28** scored a successful try for the Gaels in the 16th minute. / *Photo by Karen Drinkwater*

Just minutes later, The Gaels capitalized again with another try from Iosefa Toia’ivao ’26 to extend the Gaels’ lead to 14–0 at the 10 minute mark. Even when Colorado State managed to get on the board with a penalty goal, Saint Mary’s immediately responded. Aisake Tukuafu ’28 crossed in the 16th minute, followed by Benjamin Hatch ’28 at the 20-minute mark, both conversions good to stretch the lead to 28–3.

The Gaels kept applying pressure through territory and pace. A well-worked sequence down the right side led to another try in the 24th minute, pushing the score to 33–3 heading into halftime.

“Just taking the ball, not doing anything too fancy, and coming with a defensive mindset,” Santi Ix-Siu said postgame when asked about setting the tone. TJ Pappas echoed that emphasis, pointing to a clear response after the previous week’s loss to Cal in the last game of the regular season. This time around, Pappas said, “Our defense was just unreal. We came out to hit… we knew defense was going to win us this game.”

Turning Pressure into Points

Saint Mary's player Oli Cline '27 runs past a Colorado State defender and a two of his teammates in attempt to score a try. — Gaining ground: Auckland, New Zealand native **Ollie Kline ’26** carries the ball for the Gaels. / *Photo by Karen Drinkwater*

The second half picked up right where the first left off. The Gaels continued to dominate the breakdown and control possession while incorporating subs, turning sustained pressure into points. A maul try early in the half extended the lead to 38–3, followed by another clean finish from Santi Ix-Siu to make it 45–3. Even as the Rams found a late try, the Gaels never lost control.

The Gaels closed the match out with two more tries to seal the 69–10 result. Their composure stood out in less than ideal conditions. “It’s raining, and [we did well] bouncing back from those little mistakes,” Ix-Siu said. That ability to adjust kept Saint Mary’s efficient throughout the match.”

Where did the Gaels execute best? “Our territory game," TJ Pappas said. “Just keeping them under pressure, letting them make the mistakes instead of us. And I think it worked out well.”

Up Next: Gaels Host Wildcats for the Quarter Finals on April 18

The No. 2 seed Gaels welcome the No. 3 seed Arizona Wildcats to Moraga for a Round of Eight matchup, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. at Saint Mary’s Stadium on Saturday, April 18.